Brandenburg Gate

The Brandenburg Gate is one of the most famous architectural landmarks in Berlin and Germany as a whole. Located in the very heart of the city, it has become a symbol of peace, freedom, and the reunification of the country after decades of division.

The gate was built between 1788 and 1791 by the order of Prussian King Frederick William II as a monument to peace. Architect Carl Gotthard Langhans designed it in the neoclassical style, inspired by ancient Greek structures. Atop the gate stands the Quadriga - a chariot drawn by four horses and driven by the goddess of peace, sculpted by Johann Gottfried Schadow.

In 1806, after capturing Berlin, Napoleon ordered the Quadriga with Victoria to be dismantled and transported to Paris. However, following the victory over French forces in 1814, the Germans returned the sculpture to its original place.

The gate stands 26 meters high and is 65.5 meters wide.

Over the centuries, the Brandenburg Gate has witnessed many key historical events — from the Napoleonic Wars to World War II. During the Cold War, it stood between East and West Berlin, and after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, it became a true symbol of Germany’s reunification.

The Brandenburg Gate is located on Pariser Platz, near the Brandenburger Tor (U55) subway station.

P.S. Image attribution: AI generated